5 questions for... Dr. Felix Zabka

Dr. Felix Zabka, Managing Director of the powder coater and anodizer ConceptColor on non-contact coating thickness measurement, interview: Robert Piterek

Dr. Zabka, your company comes into play when components need to be anodized or powder-coated.

Yes, we refine aluminium workpieces by not only applying powder coating, but also creating a highly corrosion-resistant surface by anodizing beforehand, i.e. a combination of pre-anodizing and powder coating. For example, we can create highly weather-resistant or anti-graffiti surfaces. It's not just about the wide range of colors in powder coating, but specifically about services that make surfaces more resistant.

How do you ensure your high quality in the coating process?

We have integrated a large number of test instances into the coating process. The quality check starts with a visual inspection when the goods are received. During powdering, negatively charged powder particles emerge from the gun and hit the oppositely charged material in order to achieve a coating that is as uniform as possible and of the desired thickness. The coating thickness is checked immediately after electrostatic surface coating.

So you check the coating thickness directly during production?

Yes, during the process. The PaintChecker from OptiSense is used directly after the powder booth. The inspection is carried out without contact while the coating is still soft and sensitive. This saves us expensive reworking, for example if the coating is uneven or too thin and the part would otherwise have to go through the entire coating process again.

Does this pay off in terms of the bottom line?

Absolutely. Not only has the coating error rate dropped significantly; we also use less powder - an additional cost factor. I don't need to tell you that material prices have now reached dizzying heights.

Where does the future of coating thickness measurement lie?

In the future, the focus of coating thickness measurement technology will shift even more towards process-related quality assurance. After all, optimum coating processes are the basis for flawless products. Direct feedback of the test results to the coating process is therefore required. This requires a shift in measurement from the final inspection directly into the line.